Hongzhong

Title within the Zuowandao hierarchy; the impostor intends to steal this identity from Li Huowang.

Definition

Title within the Zuowandao hierarchy; the impostor intends to steal this identity from Li Huowang.

Story context

Blood, lies, and mahjong tiles fly in a three-way free-for-all that reads like a fever dream. Li Huowang, with a newly formed hand of writhing worms, joins Danyangzi and the Zuowandao in a chaotic dance of shifting alliances. Every few moments, the team-ups flip: one moment Li Huowang and Danyangzi gang up on the Zuowandao, the next Danyangzi and the Zuowandao turn on Li Huowang. It’s not about winning anymore—it’s about dragging everyone else down with him. The Zuowandao, desperate to survive, try a classic psychological gambit, but Li Huowang’s paranoia has evolved into something sharper: he treats everything they say as a weapon, and swings back just as hard. Get ready, fellow Daoists—this chapter is a brutal masterclass in using lies as both shield and blade.

Why it matters

This chapter is a turning point in Li Huowang's psychological arc. The way he handles the Zuowandao's lies now—treating every word as a weapon to be parried—shows a ruthless pragmatism that's evolved from his earlier paranoia. His tactic of "believe nothing, stab everything" is crude but effective. When Yao Ji tries the "you're one of us" trick, Li Huowang doesn't even hesitate. He plays along just long enough to get the kill, then moves on without a second thought. That's not madness anymore—it's cold, predatory intelligence.